title: Mechanosensitivity in the upper extremity following breast cancer treatment.
abstract: METHODS
  Descriptive, cross-sectional.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Breast cancer (BC) treatments place the nervous system at risk, which may contribute to upper extremity (UE) mechanosensitivity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate elbow extension range of motion (EE-ROM) during upper limb neurodynamic testing (ULNT) post-BC treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  ULNT EE-ROM was measured for 145 women post-BC treatment. Women were sub-grouped by presence/absence of pain and lymphedema.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean EE-ROM during ULNT1 was -22.3° (SD 11.9°) on the unaffected limb and -25.99° (SD 13.1°) on the affected limb. The women with pain and lymphedema had the greatest limitation in EE-ROM during ULNT1 testing, particularly of their affected limb (-33.8°, SD 12.9). Symptoms were reported more frequently in the affected chest, shoulder, arm, elbow, and hand. The intensity of symptoms was greater at the affected chest (p = 0.046), shoulder (p = 0.033) and arm (p = 0.039).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with lymphedema and pain after BC treatment may present with altered neural mechanosensitivity.
  
  
  METHODS
  3a.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of California, San Francisco, Box 0736, San Francisco, CA 94143-0736, USA. Electronic address: betty.smoot@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smoot
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Samuel Merritt University, 450 30th Street, Oakland, CA 94609, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of California, San Francisco, Box 0736, San Francisco, CA 94143-0736, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Byl
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Marylin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dodd
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D053587:Arthrometry, Articular; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004551:Elbow Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Breast cancer; Lymphedema; Neurodynamics